1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for hydrocarbon recovery, and more particularly pertains to a method for recovering subterranean oil and gas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various drilling methods have been practiced for the recovery of subterranean oil and gas. Initially, for relatively new fields, it is frequently necessary merely to drill a vertical well into a producing reservoir or formation. As such easily producible fields are becoming increasingly depleted, there has been great interest in increasing production from depleted or semi-depleted fields, and from fields where the least expensive methods of production have been found inadequate. U.S. Pat No. 4,463,988 which issued to Bouck et al. on Aug. 7, 1984 discloses a method for recovering hydrocarbons from tar sand deposits in which steam is injected into bore holes extending laterally from a vertical shaft. The steam causes the tar sands to become viscous and flow by gravity into the bore holes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,888 which issued to Trent et al. on Aug. 26, 1986 discloses a method for recovering hydrocarbons in which water occurring in the hydrocarbon formation is used to wash fluid hydrocarbons from a porous formation by injecting the water into bore holes extending from an underground tunnel or shaft. U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,855 which issued to Richards on Sep. 16, 1986 discloses a method for collecting subterranean methane in which lateral bore holes drilled at axially spaced locations along a vertical shaft collect and conduct methane to the shaft for extraction. U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,485 which issued to Goodhart on Jun. 28, 1988 discloses a method for extracting oil in which a plurality of deviated wells extend upwardly and outwardly from a vertical shaft. Steam injected into the deviated wells causes oil to drain through the deviated wells into the vertical shaft for collection. U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,054 which issued to Kiamanesh on Jan. 21, 1992 discloses a method for oil extraction in which microwave irradiation is employed in conjunction with a plurality of horizontal canals connected to a central vertical well.